Blenheim – wine lovers delight

Romany Rambler: Travelled 20256Km; 348 Nights Away

Sunny Blenheim is full of award winning vineyards, and we seem to have driven past all the big names today, Hunters, Allan Scott, Nautilus Estate, and Lake Challis.  We drove past acre after acre of grapevines, some covered in netting to protect the precious crop from the birds.  Others, we noticed, had the rolls of netting out all ready to drape over the vines as the grapes reach maturity.  This region is just right for growing grapes which is a very important part of the local economy.

Blenheim (named after the Duke of Marlborough’s victory at Blenheim) has a very pretty town centre full of interesting little shops.  Seymour Square was as pretty as a picture with it’s brightly coloured flower beds, a fountain, and the memorial clock tower.  After the devastating Christchurch earthquakes, this tower is now considered dangerous as it is constructed of unsupported masonry, and is roped off to keep the public away.

Memorial clock tower in Seymour Square

The River Queen looked so romantic moored up on the Taylor River, wonder what the price is for an afternoon tea cruise, or maybe even a dinner cruise in the cool of the evening?.  Just as well that that my heart wasn’t really set on a river cruise today as unfortunately the boat wasn’t going anywhere for a while, due to gearbox problems. 

The River Queen

Kayaks on the river

We are spending two nights at the Waterlea Racecourse grounds in Blenheim.  This is a low cost non power site for NZMCA Member and offers water, toilets, and laundry facilities.  The large grounds offer plenty of space for our group, plus the many others who come to stay for a few nights.  The handy shade clothes made a welcome respite from the hot sunny days, and in the cool of the evening we took a leisurely walk around the race course.  In the small stream we spotted a fresh water crayfish (koura) quietly going about his business.

Waterlea Racecourse with caravans and motorhomes in the distance

Looking down from the grand-stand 

Early each morning the resident race horses in the adjacent stables are harnessed up behind the sulky for a trot around the track.  Later in the day we saw a couple of horses being exercised behind a ute – perhaps this is the modern way of training? 

Horses behind a vehicle